[aprssig] Re: TIGER maps what-s the problem?

[Chris Howard]

On Tue, 2006-06-13 at 07:43, KC2MMI (Jared) wrote:

> If the guy writing the software can't confirm the map data, why is he using the
> most misleading possible icon, a pinpoint or speck, to (mis)represent that data?
> 

Big circle, little circle, pinpoint or speck,
it makes no difference in the least.  The guy writing the software
has zero, none, zip, nada, information about accuracy
or lack thereof, so he shouldn't make a presentation that he
knows.  Making a big fuzzy circle would be more bogus than
making a pinpoint.

That's what I meant when I said the programmer can't provide
that information.  He doesn't have it.  The only person who has
it is someone who can confirm the map vs. the ground (as you said).
The programmer doesn't have the information necessary to do it.

Here's an analogy:  I work on a database system that has information
about people in it, names and addresses.  A user of this system 
will enter information.  Maybe they misspel Mr. Smith's name and make it
Smythe.  My database system has no way of validating that 
information.  Messing with it at all is a big mistake.  The only thing I
can do is present it as I receive it and hope the user has
enough clues to figure out reality from what I can give them.
Should I put in a disclaimer ("99% of the name spellings in this
database are correct")?  I don't know that; it would be a
false presentation on my part.



Chris
w0ep